Present at the Creation: Documenting the Arts of India

Abstract

THE SPANISH KING ALFONSO EL SABIO (1221-84) is reported to have remarked, "Had I been present at the creation, I would have arranged matters quite differently"-a remark that has been often quoted and which provided the title of former Secretary of State Dean Acheson's memoirs (1969). Thoughts of creation arise inescapably in connection with the founding and initial activities of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) in New Delhi. It should come as no surprise that issues of genesis, generation, elemental substance, and the essential dimensions of existence continue to be primary concerns in a cultural tradition that views the act of creation as a continuous, seamless, and ongoing process-a "now," not a primal "then." In distinct contrast to the Castilian king's critical appraisal, the diverse activities of IGNCA's several divisions have been designed to demonstrate and reaffirm traditional Indian thought and practice in the fine, applied, and performing arts. The present review article has as its primary focus the first two volumes published in the series entitled Kaldtattvakoga: A Lexicon of Fundamental Concepts in the Indian Arts. My assessment of these volumes will be preceded by a brief report on one of IGNCA's recent activities-an international seminar on kdla (time) held in New Delhi in November 1990 and accompanied by a multi-media exhibition on the same theme in the Centre's new exhibition building. To place these accomplishments in proper perspective, it will be useful to